Garment hanger cover



March 27, 1962 H. J. TAFF GARMENT HANGER COVER Filed Oct. 22, 1959 ASC 3,027,655 GARMENT HANGER CGWER Harry l. Tait, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Kwik-Kever Manufacturing Company, Qhieago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Get. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 847,991

1 Claim. (Ci. 223-98) This invention relates to covers for garment hangers, and is especially adapted for use by retail dry cleaning establishments. In recent years, it has been common to surround the body of conventional metal garment hangers with paper covers which prevent contact between the dry cleaned garments and the metal of the garment hangers. The paper covers have also been used as advertising pieces identifying, for example, the name of the dry-cleaning establishment involved and the services performed there- It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an improved hanger cover of the type just described which is designed to encase completely the body of the garment hanger using a minimum of paper in the construction of the hanger cover and without adversely affecting the strength of the cover. A related object of the invention is to provide a hanger cover as just described which may be applied around the body of the hanger quickly and easily and which includes means for locking the cover in a closed condition around the hanger body without the use of an adhesive, fasteners or the like.

In accordance With the rnost preferred form of the present invention, the individual paper blanks are substantially rectangular in shape in the interest of minimizing wastage of paper in the process of forming the blanks from a larger sheet of material. A pair of opposite diagonal corners of the blank are cut-away for a short distance along respective cut-lines extending across the corners of the blank and intersecting the adjacent orthogonal edges thereof. A straight diagonal fold line is formed in the blank extending between the points of intersection of the aforesaid cut lines with the end edges of the rectangular blank. A second fold line is provided extending between the point of intersection of a line substantially bisecting said diagonal fold line with one of the longitudinal edges of the blank, and a point on the adjacent end edge spaced inward from -the adjacent end of the diagonal fold line a distance equal to the length of said cut lines. A third fold line is formed on the opposite side of the blank from the second fold line, the third fold line extending between the point of intersection of said bisecting line `with the other longitudinal edge of the blank and a point on the adjacent end edge thereof spaced inward from the adjacent end of the diagonal fold line a distance equal to the length of each of said cut lines. The third fold line preferably has a slit extending therealong extending a relatively short distance from the longitudinal edge of the blank;

The aforesaid blank is formed into a hanger cover by first folding the blank inwardly along said diagonal fold line. The portions of the blank externally of said second and third `fold lines form flaps which, when folded inwardly and downwardly, result in a cover having a pair of substantially triangular cover halves with folded-in aps extending from the oppositely sloping upper margins of the respective cover halves. The aforesaid slit is located at the apex of the cover. The flap extending from the second fold line is permanently secured as by an adhesive to the adjacent cover half to close oii one side of the cover. The latter flap preferably occupies a major portion of one-half the area of the cover, so that it may be adhesively secured over a large area to strengthen the closed side of the cover. The other flap is left in an unfolded condition which leaves an opening in the other side of the cover through which the triangular body of a conventional metal hanger having the usual upstanding hooked neck may be passed. Once the metal hanger has been fully inserted within the cover, the latter flap is tucked between the triangular body of the hanger and the adjacent cover half. In so doing, the neck of the hanger enters the aforesaid slit. The resiliency of the paper from which the cover is made causes the paper lining the slit to grip the hanger neck and thereby hold the tucked in ap snugly against the side of the hanger to provide a neat, securely closed cover.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow, the claim and the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a vertical elevational view of a conventional metal hanger enveloped by the cover of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, partly-broken away view of the cover .shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the neck of the hanger shown in FIG. l, taken along section line 3 3 1therein;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional View through the cover and hanger sho-wn in FIG. l, taken along section line 4 4 therein;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the cover and the hanger shown in FIG. l, taken along section line 5 5 therein;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the cover and hanger shown in FIG. l, taken along section line 6 6 therein;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the paper blank from which the cover shown in FIG. 1 is made; and

FlG. 8 is a view of the blank shown in FIG. 7 in a partially folded condition showing the manner in which the cover is assembled.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. l, the hanger cover of the present invention generally indicated by reference numeral 2 is designed to receive a conventional metal hanger 4 having the usual triangular body portion 6 and neck portion 8 extending upwardly from the apex of the hanger and terminating in a hooked portion lil. The cover 2 is in the form of a generally triangular envelope with oppositely sloping upper margins 1244 and a horizontal bottom margin I6. The envelope is formed by a pair ofk confronting panels 8 20. Extending downwardly and inwardlyV from the upper sloping margin i2 of the panel 1S is a generally triangular flap 22. which occupies a major portion of the area of one-half of the cover (e.i. in excess of one-half of the area of one-half of the cover). The flap 22 extends at its inner end to the apex of the cover. The flap 22 is secured by spots of adhesive 241i to the inside surface of the panel 2li for most of the length of the upper end inner margins of the fiap, so that an envelope of substantial strength is provided. The flap 22 thus closes off one side of the cover Z to form a permanent closure therefor.

Extending downwardly and inwardly from the upper sloping margin 11.4 of the panel 2i) is a generally triangular flap 26 of substantially the same size as the aforesaid triangular hap 2.2. The flap 26 likewise extends to the apex 21 of the cover. The flap 26 is held snugly against the triangular body portion e of the hanger 4 and the inner surface of the panel 1 8, partly by the panel l and to a significant extent by means including the provision of a short slit 2? formed at the upper inner end of the flap 26. rifhe slit 23 extends a short distance from the apex of the cover along the line of intersection between the hap 2o and the panel 20. The slit forms a iiap edge portion 29 (FEG. 5) separated from the panel Ztl to thus form a small sized opening 31 through which the neck portion 8 of the hanger passes in close iitting relation. The resiliency of the paper out of which the cover is made forces the flap section 29 snugly against the neck portion of the hanger and thusly aids in holding the flap in a substantially vertical plane snugly against the body portion 6 of the hanger. This presents a neat, securely closed cover.

The lank out of which the cover is made is designed to require a minimum of paper in the completed cover and also a minimum of wastage of paper when the blank is cut from a larger piece of material, and without adversely affecting the strength of the cover. In fact, the cover constructed from the blank to be described is appreciably stronger than hanger covers heretofore made requiring even greater amounts of paper and greater wastage thereof when cut from a larger piece of material.

Referring to FIG. 7 which shows a plan view of the paper blank from which the cover 2 is made, the blank is substantially rectangular in shape and has straight parallel longitudinal edges 84-34 and straight parallel end edges Sa- 36. A pair of diagonally opposite corners 38-33 thereof are cut-away to the same degree by short, straight cut lines 39-39 intersecting the adjacent orthogonal edges of the blank. A straight diagonal fold line 41 is formed in the blank so as to intersect the parallel end edges 3& 36 at the points of intersection of the cut lines 39-39 therewith. A second fold line 43 is provided in the blank extending between the point of intersection of a line 45 bisecting the diagonal fold line 41 with one of said longitudinal blank edges 34, and a point 47 on the adjacent end edge 36 spaced inward from the adjacent end of the diagonal fold line 4l a distance equal the length of the cut line 39. A third fold line is provided on the opposite side of the blank which fold line extends between the point of intersection of the bisecting line 45 with the other longitudinal edge 34 and a point 51 on the adjacent end edge 36 spaced inward from the adjacent end of the diagonal fold line 41 a distance equal to the length of the cut line 39. The aforementioned slit 28 is formed along the fold line 49 at its juncture with the longitudinal edge 34.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 8, the cover 2 is made by folding the blank in half along a diagonal fold line i `and also along the fold line 43 so that flap 22 is formed extending inwardly of the blank. Adhesive spots 44 applied to the outside of the Hap 22 secure the flap against the inner surface of the panel section on the other half of the blank. The cut lines 39--39 then extend along the portions of the original end edges 36-36 of the blank between the points 47 and 51 and the ends of the diagonal fold line 41. Also, the fold line 43 extends along the portion of the upper longitudinal edge 34 between the end of the left cut line 39 and the upper end of the bisecting line 45 which is at the apex 21 of the cover. The resultant cover is closed to the left and opened to the right of the apex 21 of the cover. The end of the hanger then may be inserted within the cover as shown in dotted lines in FIG. l. The flap 26 is then tucked-in between the hanger body 6 and the triangular panel 18. The fold line 49 then extends along the portion of the originally lower longitudinal edge 34 between the right cut line 39 and the originally lower end of bisecting line 45 now at the apex 21 of the cover.

Because the blank is substantially rectangular in shape, it is apparent that a minimum of wastage of material will result when cutting a number of blanks from a larger sheet of material. Also, it can be shown that the amount of material required for the blank 2 is appreciably less than that required by cover constructions of the type heretofore used, and this is true despite the fact that the present cover is even stronger than the covers heretofore made because of the extensive areas of the ap 22 which are adhesively secured to the inner surface of the panel IS of the cover.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made of the preferred form of the cover above described without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In combination with a garment hanger having a triangular-shaped body and a shank forming a hooked neck, a hanger cover enclosing said hanger body and comprising: a generally triangular envelope with `an apex at the top thereof, said envelope being permanently closed on one side of said apex and openable at the other side to receive the hanger body, said envelope being made of a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material having a pair of straight parallel longitudinal edges extending for substantially the length of the sheet and a pair of straight parallel end edges extending substantially the width of the sheet, a pair of diagonally opposite corners of said sheet being cut-away to the same degree by short,

straight cut lines intersecting the adjacent edges of the sheet, a straight diagonal fold line intersecting said parallel end edges at the points of intersection of said cut lines therewith, a second fold line extending between the point of intersection of a line substantially bisecting said diagonal fold line with one of said longitudinal edges and a point on the adjacent end edge spaced inward from the adjacent end of said diagonal fold line a distance equal to the length of each of said cut lines, a third fold line on the opposite side of said sheet from said second fold line which extends between the point of intersection of said bisecting line with the other longitudinal edge Vand a point on the adjacent end edge spaced inward from the adjacent end of the diagonal fold line a distance equal to the length of each of said cut lines, said third fold line having a slit therein extending a relative short distance from said longitudinal edge, said blank being folded inward along said diagonal fold line and then inward along said second and third fold lines to form generally triangular cover halves with folded flaps, said second and third fold lines defining inclined margins along opposite sides of the cover and falling along the adjacent exposed longitudinal edges of the sheet, the ap formed by said second fold line being permanently attached to the cover half from which the other flap extends to close on one `side of the envelope, said other flap vbeing unsecured so that the other side of the envelope is openable to receive said hanger body, and said slit on said third fold line forming a narrow opening through which the base of said hanger neck extends, the defining margins of said slit interlocking with said hanger neck to hold the ilap in position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

